Build a bug palace in the school garden!

Free resources to help you build your own bug-hotel

Imagine if you could have your own miniature zoo in your school
garden, full of amazing miniature creatures. You can, if you build
a bug hotel!

A bug hotel is a structure full of holes and crevices where lots
of different kinds of creepy crawlies can scamper, nest, burrow and
feed. At the bottom of this article are some great free guide to
help your class to build their own.

In the natural world there a plenty of holes, nooks and crannies
for mini-beasts to stay in - dead wood and fallen leaves are
perfect, but your average bug or beatle will go for hollow stems on
plants and even the gaps between rocks as well.

It may not sound like much of a place to live for us, but to an
invertebrate this is five star accommodation!

The problem is that lots of gardens (including at schools) tend
to be kept so tidy, with twigs and dead leaves being swept away
regularly, that the mini-beasts don't get a chance to settle.

Make your own bug hotel

One option that you might want to consider is creating a
custom-built palace for bugs and other mini-beasts to stay.
It can make a great project for a school, or in your own garden at
home (just ask permission first). You could end up with your own
beastly zoo full of ladybirds, earwigs, woodlice and spiders -
perfect for getting a closer look at some truly fascinating
creatures.

Don't worry if you don't have lots of materials or if you only
have a small garden. Your imagination is the most valuable tool!
There are plenty of great ideas and resources online to help you
and here are just a few:

The Royal Horticultural Society School Gardening
website (they have a specific bug hotel guide here)

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council have a great printable
guide to building the perfect palace for mini-beasts here

Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife and the Ulster Wildlife
Trust have produced another great guide here